Tug wheel for oil wells



E. M. SMITH, TUG' WHEEL FOR OIL WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, I921.

1,41 3 ,879; Patnted Apr. 25, 1922.

EdwaroM. Sm/Yk,

AEDWARD M. s erra, or DOWNEY, oetrronnrn; g

TUG WHEEL For. 011. watts; p

Application filed April 28, 1921. Serial lilo. 465,142. 7

- To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD M. SMITH,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Downey, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Tug Wheel for Oil Wells, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates .to oil well drilling and producing'apparatus and particularly to apparatus used in raising the tools or pipe used in drilling or in the subsequent production of oil.

It is an object of my invention to provide a tug wheel which will be of much 'more durable construction than the ordinary types of tug wheels which are commonly constructed of Wood. In the present practice of'well drilling hoisting drums or bull Wheels, are driven by bullropes running in grooves provided therefor in the tug wheel. The tug wheels are of considerable diameter and it has been customary to construct them of wood in order that they have a'high coefficient of friction and that their weight may not be excessive. I

Further objects of my invention are the provision of a tug wheel which may be of such construction that it may be easily mounted upon a standard band wheel, and which willhave the added feature of expedient renewal of the wearing parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tug wheel having grooves with a high coeflicient of friction and which is made of a fire proof and heat resisting ma terial.

A further object is to provide a tug wheel that will not cause excessive wear on the rope.

With reference to the drawing which is V for illustrative purposes only:

Fig. 1 is a view of a drilling rig with a tug wheel of my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a verticalcross-section through a band wheel having mounted thereon a tug wheel embodying my invention.

Fig. 3 is a perspective. View of one of the tug wheel'frame sections and of one of the spacing cant blocks I employ.

F ig.-4 is a perspective view of several of I the grooved fire proof segments which are adapted to be mounted in the frame section s. As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawmg, a tug wheel 11' of my invention is mounted on a band wheel 12 driven by a belt 13 from an engine not shown. A bull rope 15, running over the tug wheel 11, drives a bull wheel 16. This arrangement'gives a very flexible drive which is desirable in the hoisting of great lengths of cable and drilling apparatus.

The remaining 'figures of'the drawing illustrate the construction of a preferred form of the tugwheel 11. The bandwheel 12, as in present practice, is constructed of a laminated wooden web 20 upon which are mounted wood cants 21 forming a rim 22. The tugwheel is comprised of semi-circular frame channel sections 25 which are bolted together, by means of bent up lips 26, to form a complete wheel. 1 In these frame sections 25 are mounted segments 30 of vulcanized asbestos, or other non-inflammablesubstance, v

with grooves 31 to receive the and provided bull rope l5.

Tug wheel 11is easily mounted on the band wheel 12. by bolts 82 which. through spaced holes v33 inthe of the frame channels, and through correspondingly spaced holes 35 in theasbestos pass flanges 34 f segments 30. Cant blocks40, having holes fill spaced to accommodate the bolts 32, are" provided between the frame sections 25 and the web 20 of the band wheel 12 to bring the grooves 31 of the tug-wheel 11 into a position beyond the confines ofv the band wheel rim 22.

' I desire to call especial attention to the ease with which the tug wheel 11 may be mounted upon the band wheel 12, and the ease with which the wearing parts, consisting of the asbestos segments 30, may he removed and replaced by new segments by taking out the bolts 32. I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, with the band wheel,

ing: a channel shaped metal retaining mem ber secured to the slde of the band wheel of an oil well derrick, a tug wheel compris; I

with the, flanges of the channel projecting outwardly; wood cants between said channel shaped metal retaining member and said N band wheel; removable friction segments fitting between the flanges; and boltspass ing through said flanges, said segments, said wood cants, and the bandwheel for securing all of said parts together.

2. In a. tug Wheel, the combination of e in said member and grooved to receive the retaining member; and vulcanized asbestos bull rope. blocks secured in said member and grooved In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 10 to receive the bull rope. my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 5 3. In a tug wheel, the combination of .a 19th day of April, 1921. v f

retaining member; and removable blocks of fire proof and heat resisting material carried EDWARD M. SMITH. 

